California Provides Grant to Study RLV Airspace/Safety Issues

California Governor Gray Davis announced a US$1 million grant to the California Space and Technology Alliance, Santa Maria, to study airspace requirements for launching reusable launch vehicles in California. The grant will be used by a consortium, including the space and technology alliance, San Bernardino and Kern counties, and the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. The Western Commercial Space Center, Lompoc, which is in the process of merging with the alliance, will also be involved.

The study will include looking at the reliability of future reusable spacecraft, developing safety recommendations for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensing of launch and recovery operations, and making recommendations on insurance liability issues. Recommendations will be made to the FAA, primarily about the use of airspace above the Harper Dry Lake region near Barstow, and will also identify likely launch sites for reusable launch vehicles over neighboring states. In addition, the group will develop airspace safety criteria.

Harper Dry Lake has been a favored site for the VentureStar reusable launch vehicle project. Vandenberg Air Force Base had also been considered a top contender for the Lockheed Martin project, but Harper is considered a better candidate by the state.

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